Process of extracting nickel and cobalt from ores



(No Model.)

D. MINDBLEFF.

PROCESS OF BXTRAGTING NICKEL AND COBALT PROM 035s. No. 354,923. PatentedDec. 28, 1886.

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ll virnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DEMETRY MINDELEFF, OF SAN FRANCISCQ, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF EXTRACTING NICKEL AND COBALT FROM ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,923, dated December28, 1886.

Application filed September 3, 1885. Serial No. 176,116. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DEMETRY MINDELEFF, of San Francisco, State ofCalifornia, have invented a new andImproved Process of EX- tractingNickel and Cobalt from Ores Con taining Them, of which the following isaspecification.

This invention relates to the extraction of the above-named metals fromthe ore in its condition as it is taken from the mine; and it consistsin treating it in its lump state with hydrocarbon gas in a heatedchamber, then pulverizing it, and finally extracting the metallicparticles from the gangue by dipping an electro-magnet into the ore asit is-agitated as a pulpy mass in a tub, the magnet being periodicallywithdrawn to deposit the adhering particles in a separate store.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus used in carrying myinvention into practice, Fig. 2 being a plan of the same.

In both figures the same letters of reference are used to indicate thesame parts.

According to the invention the ore in its lump state is placed in theretort A, which may be of any suitable size and shape, and therein it isheated in the furnace B to a red heat. There is then passed into theretort'a quantity of hydrocarbon gas sufficient to re duce all of themetals before named which may be contained in the ore, the quantityvarying according to the richness of the ore, being de termined by meanshereinafter described.

The gas need not be purified, and may be obtained from wood, naphtha,coal, or other of dry distillation.

substance yielding it by the ordinary process It may be stored in thegas-holder O, which may be made like those ordinarily used for storingilluminating-gas.

The retort is provided with an inductionpipe, D, .at one end and aneduction-pipe, D, at the other end. This latter pipe dips into acondenser, E, a common wooden tub covered and partly filled with'water.

Branching from the eduction-pipe there is a testing-pipe, D, withastop-cock on it: This is used for periodically testing for the presenceof arsenical or sulphureted hydrogen gas, for as long as either of thesegases isevolved the reduction of the metals is not complete,

and the hydrocarbon gas must continue to be passed into the retort. Intesting, the end of the pipe D is immersed in a solution of copper orlead held in the test'tube F, when, the cock on the test-pipe beingopened, the presence of the evolved gases named is detected by a blackprecipitation following their mixing with the solution. As soon as theprecipitation ceases it is known that the metals in the ore are properlyreduced, and the hydrocarhon gas maybe shut off from the retort and itscontents be left to cool, enveloped in an atmosphere of the gas. Thevapors and gases passing out of the retort are mostly condensed in thecondenser, the residuum being periodically drawn off by the cock 6 atthe bottom. What little hydrocarbon gas escapes from the retortunoonsumed will pass out of thecondenser through the overflow-pipe Gback into the gasholder. The retort having been Withdrawn from the fire,or vice versa, as the case maybe, and its contents having sufficientlycooled, so as to be handled, they are next taken to the crushing-rollsH, where the ore is finely pulverized, the finer the better. There isnothing peculiar about these rolls. Any suitable style will do. All thatis necessary is, that there shall be no coarse particles left uncrushed;otherwise an ordinary rock-breaker might be substituted for the rolls,or even a stamp-mill would do. From the crushing-mill the pulverized oreis taken to theseparator I, and in that machine it is mixed with aquantity of water sufficient to givethe mass the consistency of thinmud. This separator and agitator combined is a novel machine, and

needs to be described in detail.

J is a common wooden tub. K is a spindle standing upright in the middleand resting in the step N and bearing .1. From thisspindle there radiatea number of arms, L, which stir up the pulpy mass as the spindle isrevolved by the bevel gear-wheels M on top, which transmit motion fromthe horizontal shaft 0.

P is the soft-iron core of an electro-magnet; This is enveloped with aninsulated electric coil, P, which connects with the conductingwires Qthrough the swinging bar R, having a roller, 0', 011 its lower end.There is a metal track, S, for the roller of the swinging bar totraverse during the time the electric current IOO is maintained throughthe coil, to which track the conducting-wires are connected.

Tis a horizontal shaft with a cam or arm, U, secured upon it, which camhas a roller, U, on its end.

V is a wooden frame surrounding the magnet, which frame has a projectinglimb, Y, and is held constantly in a perpendicular position by slidingagainst the stationary framework of the machine, against which it isdrawn by means of a counterbalanceweight, W, 0011- nected to the lowerend of the frame V by a cord passing over the pulleys w w. The shaft Tis revolved by pulley-and-belt connection with the shaft 0. There is apivot, X, projecting from each side of the frame .of the magnet, whichpivot, resting on the frame of the apparatus when the magnet, havingbeen raised to its highest point, is being drawn back to deposit theparticles adhering to it in the storingbox Y, supports the magnet at itshighest point after the can] has passed by and ceased to do so.

The frame-timbers will have notches cutout at a: to permit the pivots topass as the magnet is raised.

The operation of this combined separator and agitator is as follows: Thepulpy mass is vigorously stirred up by the revolving arms draws it backfar enough to bring it over the storing-box Y, when, the roller 1 of theswinging bar R having left the track S, the current of electricity isbroken, the core is no longer magnetized, and the adhering particles ofmetal drop 0E into the box. The cam at this time has escaped contactwith the arm of the magnet-frame, and there being nothing to hold themagnet the counter-weight comes into action and draws the magnet back toagain drop it into the agitator, the operation being repeated until themetals are all extracted.

The diflerent positions of the magnet during the operation are shown indotted lines, Fig 1.

I am aware that it is not new to separate nickel from reduced ore by theaid of electromagnets, and also that it is not new to deoxidize andmetallize iron ore by first superheating it in a granulated state andthen suddenly discharging it into a chamber containing pulverizedcarbon, finally separating the metallic particles by the aid of amagnetic separator. I do not, therefore, claim originality with respectto all the distinct stages of my process, separately considered, butonly with respect to all of them, when combined and constituting acomplete system in itself for extracting the metallic particles from theore originally in a lump state.

Itherefore claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent-, as follows:

The herein-described process of extracting the metallic particles ofnickel and cobalt from the ore containing them, consisting of acombination of the following operations in the order named: first,treating thelump ore with hydrocarbon gas in a closed and heatedchamber, then in reducing the ore to a pulverulent state, then in mixingthe mass with water until it acquires a pulpy consistency in a suitableagitating-machine, and finally extracting the metallic particles fromthe pulpy mass by the aid of any suitable electromagnetic separator,substantially as set forth. DEMETRY MIN DELEFF.

Witnesses:

GEQRGE PARDY, J AMEs L. DRUM.

